Taurasi Named to All-WNBA First Team

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Diana Taurasi was named to the All-WNBA First Team for the second time in her career.

(WNBA Photos)

Posted: Sept. 1, 2006

The 2006 All-WNBA First and Second Teams were named by the WNBA today. For the seventh time in her career, Los Angeles Sparks’ Lisa Leslie occupies the center spot on the All-WNBA First Team. With her selection to the 2006 squad, no other player in league history has earned more First Team honors than Leslie.

Voting for the All-WNBA First and Second Teams was conducted by a panel of national sportswriters and broadcasters who selected players by position. First Team votes received five points while Second Team votes received three.

Leslie led all vote-getters with a total 278 points, narrowly edging out Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (276), who joins the First Team for the second time in her career. The Indiana Fever’s Tamika Catchings, a three-time First Team selection, occupies one forward spot, while the Seattle Storm’s Lauren Jackson holds down the other with her fourth consecutive appearance on the First Team. Connecticut Sun guard Katie Douglas rounds out the backcourt as she grabs her first All-WNBA honor.

While leading the Sparks to the best record in the Western Conference (25-9), Leslie also led the league in double-doubles (17) and defensive rebounds (240); ranked second in total rebounds (323) and blocks (57); third in points (680), free throws (158) and field goals made (257). Taurasi led the league in overall scoring (860) and points per game (25.3), both WNBA single-season records. Catchings, the league’s Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, led the Fever in scoring. Jackson was tied for fourth in the league in points and rebounds per game. Douglas, in a breakout season that saw her lead Connecticut in scoring, finished second in the voting for the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and third in the voting for Most Improved Player honors.

The 2006 All-WNBA Second Team is led by Detroit Shock center Cheryl Ford. She is joined by the Connecticut Sun’s Taj McWilliams-Franklin and Houston Comets’ Sheryl Swoopes at the forward positions, and the Washington Mystics’ Alana Beard and Minnesota Lynx’ Seimone Augustus, the 2006 WNBA Rookie of the Year, in the guard sports.

Each All-WNBA player will receive a Tiffany-designed trophy. In addition, $10,000 will be rewarded to each member of the First Team and $5,000 to each member of the Second Team.